


Out of the way, I saw it first

by varevare (varebanos)



Category: DCU (Comics)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-06
Updated: 2014-12-06
Packaged: 2018-02-28 09:15:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2726942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/varebanos/pseuds/varevare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason can deal with Christmas just fine.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Out of the way, I saw it first

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WriterOfFates](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterOfFates/gifts).



Christmas wasn't Jason's favorite holiday. It brought entirely too many bad memories. Of cold, of hunger, of mindless spending by Gotham's most privileged citizens. His mother, back when she was alive, never had much money to spend. Winter was harsh in the city, and heating and warm clothes were expensive. Jason had never blamed her for it. He had been happy to have company, and someone who tried her best to make sure he'd never be cold. It didn't always work, but he had always appreciated it. Still, the so called Christmas cheer everybody talked about was completely unknown to him.   
  
In the manor, things had been different, of course. The heating was always running, the Christmas tree stood tall and bright, and the gifts and food were as impressive as one could imagine. It didn't last long. At the end, it only felt as the kind of dream that left you bitter after waking up.   
  
And woken up he had.   
  
After he had arrived back in Gotham, he had spent Christmas alone every year. Drinking or fighting, for the most part. What before had only caused envy, now spoke of the selfishness of the wealthy and the unfairness and corruption of the society. It only gave him more reasons to continue his own particular crusade.   
  
Then things changed again, and his safe houses were no longer empty, and he was no longer alone.   
  
It wasn't an easy process. There were months and months of fighting and having to go back home alone to lick their own wounds. Jason wasn't even sure when did it all start. It wasn't any specific flirtatious line, nor a single kiss. At the end, they still worked it out. Jason hadn't even noticed the way it happened. Now Jason could go back home knowing someone would patch his wounds, and he bought groceries for two. How Dick was suddenly everywhere around. His socks on the floor, his cereal in the cupboards, his bright eyes looking at the Christmas lights when they walked side by side around Gotham.    
  
(And maybe they held hands as well, sometimes, but that wasn't anybody's business)   
  
Just like that, one day Jason had woken up to Dick's arm thrown over his chest and his snores next to his ear and realized he couldn't imagine life without him. It made his chest hurt in fear, but he'd give up anything to keep it just like that.   
  
Dick had renounced to many things, as well, to be part of Jason's life. He might act like he did not care, but Jason knew the argument he had with Bruce right before moving in had been big. Big enough for Dick not to have set foot in the manor ever since. Big enough for him not to be planning to go back for Christmas, and while it made Jason happy to know Dick preferred him over anybody else-   
  
He still wanted him to enjoy the celebrations, because Jason's own dislike for the holiday didn't beat how happy he felt whenever he saw Dick smile.   
  
And so he was, feeling like the biggest idiot of the whole city, in the middle of an annoyingly shiny store. Not just any store, of course, but the one Dick always stared for the longest when they walked past. Meaning, the shiniest loudest Christmas themed store in Gotham, of course. He had gone there with a plan, but it had seemed easier in his head. He had the tree -or what he hoped would become the tree, once he built it- and the decorations. He had endured people elbowing him in the ribs and his ears getting assaulted by carols for hours already, but he had made it.   
  
Now, seeing the pile of kids fighting each other waiting for the revelation of the limited edition fully poseable 18 inches tall first edition Nightwing doll, he felt his resolve crack for the first time. He was going to look like a deranged madman if he got in there. Why were kids in there anyways? Isn't Santa the one supposed to bring the gifts? What had the world come to? Or maybe Santa only visited kids and discriminated against locusts. Jason wouldn't judge him for it. He'd run for the hills as well if he could.   
  
Then, the store clerk arrived with a wide smile that sent shivers down Jason's back and started the countdown. That was when Jason had to say fuck it and go.   
  
The scenario might not have been as terrible as the ones he found in many patrols, but physically it was even more taxing. One of the adornments for the tree got irremediably damaged -thank god he could carefully swap it for a new one before paying- he had bruises in his bruises, and his left hand was bleeding. Baby teeth should never be so sharp.   
  
Dick would be happy. He better be happy, with all the suffering and embarrassment Jason what going through to make him happy. Not that Dick particularly enjoyed Jason's suffering, of course. Knowing him, though, Jason would probably arrive to a fully decorated apartment. He had seen how Dick's own apartment looked like the previous year, back when their relationship was nothing but suturing wounds and late night make outs. And while he'd never admit it, he had been impressed on how had a single person managed to hang so many lights from one day to the other.   
  
When Jason arrived, the apartment was empty. As empty as it could be when you lived with a slob that left the previous night's suit on the floor and his own body spread on the three seats sofa.   
  
Empty of carols, though. And of decorations, and of the smell of peppermint- even the television was suspiciously empty of Christmas movies. Dick used to hate the reality that was on that channel. Probably still didn't care much for it, judging by the snores coming from his slack mouth. Feeling incredibly fond of him, Jason walked over and kissed his forehead. Receiving nothing but a sleepy grumble from his efforts, he took off his jacket and got to work immediately.    
  
Two hours later, there was a Christmas tree in the living room. One Jason could feel proud of. It wasn't as tall as the ones he'd seen in the manor, but he had built it all by himself. The box said it shouldn't take over thirty minutes to assemble it, but that was irrelevant.   
  
When he turned around, ready to wake up Dick and force him to help with the decorations, he found a sleepy pair of eyes staring directly at him.   
  
"Jason? What's that?" Dick's roughened voice asked him. It made all of Jason's doubts ruse back to him. "Why is there a Christmas tree in our living room?"   
  
The warmth that Jason felt whenever he heard Dick use the first person plural wasn't enough to calm him down.   
  
"I put it there. Because it's Christmas." he replied, smiling more than he thought he'd be able to.   
  
"But you hate Christmas."   
  
"I don't hate... I can stand them just fine, alright." The smile fell from his face. "And you love Christmas."   
  
"Wait, do you mean you want to celebrate them this year? I've seen you glare daggers to my ornaments, so I thought we just could. You know. Use the time to rest?"   
  
Standing up, Dick approached slowly the tree, staring at it like he couldn't believe it. Or believe Jason. Jason didn't believe himself, either, actually.   
  
"You didn't decorate it yet," Dick continued. "Were you waiting for me?"   
  
"I was about to wake you. But never mind, I'll take it down."   
  
"Are you crazy? It's perfect." Dick gave him a smile that could make all the decorations from the mall seem dim. "We're going to decorate it right now, and... Wait, did you buy food?"   
  
"Yes, well... I guessed you'd miss your usual Christmas dinner, so I tried to compensate. I even got you a gift, but-"   
  
Dick's smile went down as fast as it had appeared.   
  
"I- oh, shit, Jay, I'm so sorry..."   
  
"What? Did you have plans already?"   
  
"I- I didn't get you a gift. I thought we wouldn't be celebrating, so I- fuck, when do the stores close?" Dick's face fell down even further at Jason's snort. "Don't laugh, this is serious! I'm going right now."   
  
"Dick, it's fine, I know Santa isn't real."   
  
"It's not about that!" Dick insisted, rushing to put on his coat like a madman. It was a sight to behold. "I'll be back in a minute. Don't you dare start decorating without me!" He added, and slammed the door shut behind him.   
  
Jason started laughing the moment Dick was out of sight. Of all the things that could have gone wrong, he couldn't believe a missing gift was Dick's biggest worry. When he managed to calm down, he looked around at his bags. Well, dick hadn't said anything about cooking. Things tended to taste better when he was nowhere in sight while he cooked, so...   
  
After Dick returned, they finally sat down and had dinner. Jason might not be the best chef in the world, but it all came out pretty decent, if he might say so himself. Then they exchanged the gifts. Dick, of course, loved the toy, immediately emptying his work table to display it. Jason got mittens, a scarf, and a matching hat, accompanied by a ton of apologies and a promise of a better gift. But it was the Christmas gift that had made him the happiest in his life. He really didn't mind.   
  


(He was able to put his gifts to good use that year, whenever he walked around the city with Dick. Thought he left mitten saw less use than the right one. Holding hands is just not the same otherwise.)   
  



End file.
